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The holiday season is upon us. Here are a few things we're excited to give and receive this year.

1) Treat the young person in your life to a box of gourmet snacks from Mouth.

2) If your kid wants to get more involved in the kitchen, the MasterChef Junior Cookbook looks like a great tutorial. 

3) This cute bag can be worn over the shoulder or as a backpack.

4) Handcrafted Honeybee's Trivia Bath Bombs make bathtime even more fun!

5) Tattly's wildlife temporary tattoos will last for days (instead of minutes)! 

6) Qwirkle is a fun family game that will entertain little kids and their parents. 

7) Let those kids live large with a chic letterpress printed notepad by e.b. goodale Smudge Ink.

More Gift Guides
2018 Gift Guide for Women  |  2018 Gift Guide for the Host or Hostess  |  2018 Gift Guide for Men

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The holiday season is upon us. Here are a few things we're excited to give and receive this year.

1) This Honey Gift Set from Waxing Kara is both gorgeous and delicious.

2) Sheet masks are just the ticket for some post-holiday home pampering.

3) Wintery scents make Smudge Ink's special edition bath and body collection great for seasonal gifting.

4) If you're going to give the gift of socks, make sure they're super pretty and extra cozy, like this pair from J. Crew! 

5) A beautiful mug can elevate the ritual of a daily cuppa. We really like this gold-rimmed style from Crate & Barrel. 

6) If snuggling up with a good book is the activity du jour, How To Win at Feminism is an empowering choice. 

7) Lastly, for the DIY-er in your life, a good cordless drill can make home projects so much easier! 

More Gift Guides
2018 Gift Guide for Kids and Teens  |  2018 Gift Guide for the Host or Hostess  |  2018 Gift Guide for Men 

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Everywhere we look, there are headlines and posts about sweater weather and pumpkins. Folks are picking apples and making pies. Yes, it's fall. It's a special time of year here in New England as we look forward to cooler days and the leaves changing. Here at Smudge Ink, we're also all looking forward to incorporating some seasonal recipes. Here are links to some of the things we're excited to make in the coming weeks and months!

• Butternut Squash Soup with Apples
• Roasted Ratatouille with Eggs
• No-peel Apple Crisp
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Winter Squash Pancakes with Crispy Sage and Brown Butter
• Mighty Miso Gravy (from How it All Vegan by Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer)
  6-10 mushrooms, chopped
  1 med. onion, chopped
  1 tbs olive oil
  2-3 tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
  cayenne pepper (to taste)
  dried basil (to taste)
  dried dill (to taste)
  pepper (to taste)
  1/3 cup flour
  1 1/3 cups vegetable stock
  1 tsp miso
  
  
  Personal Note: I skip the dried herbs and throw in a couple tbs of fresh dill at the end instead.
   
  In a medium saucepan, sauté the mushrooms and onions in oil on medium-high heat until onions are translucent and mushrooms are tender, Add the Braggs, cayenne, basil, dill, and pepper and stir together. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the flour, mixing together well. It will become pasty and dry. Slowly start adding the stock a little at a time until everything becomes well mixed and there are no lumps. Place back on to medium heat and simmer until sauce is thickened, stirring often. At the last minute, stir in miso and serve. Makes 4-6 servings.

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September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and during this month we wish to address this serious topic and reduce the stigma around the discussion of mental health.

Many people struggle with feelings of depression and hopelessness, but the taboo of mental health is still prevalent in our society, and medical help is scarce and often expensive. This leaves those who struggle with mental illness vulnerable and seemingly helpless.

Even those who are close to a person struggling with mental illness may not be aware of their suffering, or don’t know how to help.

The most important thing you can do for a loved one dealing with mental illness is to ask and listen. Many people often feel relief simply knowing that someone cares about them and their well-being, and is willing to listen without judgment.

Another way to help someone is to create a network of resources and individuals they can turn to for support; many people are not aware of the resources available that can assist them and offer support.

Many social media sites have built-in functions to report concerning behavior and will reach out to the user to offer assistance and resources. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 in the United States if you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Let us use this month as an opportunity to be compassionate and supportive to those struggling around us, as we never know what someone else may be going through.

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Grandparents adore their grandchildren and they don’t expect to be celebrated for it. This is even more reason to acknowledge the day and let them know how much we love them right back. 

To help you out, we've created a fun printable letter that kids can fill in and give to their grandparents. Abigail let us feature her beautiful letter to her grandmother here! She simply followed these easy steps:

1) Click on the links below to download and print the Grandparents Day printable. Each is 2 pages.

Printable for Grandma
Printable for Grandpa

2) Color, draw, and fill in the blanks!
3) Cut along the gray outline of each page and glue the pages back to back to make one sheet.
5) Orient the sheet so that the width is longer than the height and lay on its “gift wrap” side. Fold so that the left and right edges meet in the middle to complete the ribbon.
6) Use a little tape to keep the letter closed and “wrapped up.”
7) Give to a grandparent!

Updated September 2017

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